The Incredible Hulk
Directed by: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt
Boy, this was a great year for comic book nerr… I mean fans! It goes without saying that the movie that stuck out from the crowd was The Dark Knight. Everywhere you were, there it was, billboards, magazines, newspapers, T-shirts, toys, trading cards, you name it! And how about Iron Man? Talk about the coolest of cool! Robert Downey Jr., one of my favorite actors, in a mech suit! Oh yeah, there was also that Hancock movie with Will Smith that made a TON of money! Yup, everyone was talking a lot about these films, while a little green giant looked on with a sad grin on his face…
2003’s Hulk, directed by Ang Lee, left many of us with a bad taste in our mouths. It was slow, too “artistic”, too long, and Hulk looked too cartoony. After its theatrical run, there was little hope that we would be seeing a sequel. Then, Batman Begins came out in 2005 and showed Hollywood that if you reboot a franchise the right way and take its source material seriously, you can breathe new life into a series. And now enter, THE INCREDIBLE HULK!
The Incredible Hulk is NOT a sequel, but a reboot of the franchise. It is directed by Louis Letterrier (The Transporter 1 & 2, Unleashed), and stars Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, who turns into the “unjolly” green giant, Hulk. This take on the Hulk takes it’s stride from the 1970’s TV Show of the same name, with the whole “man on the run” theme and draws inspiration from the comic book story Hulk: Gray. Much attention was made about how to represent this green monster and thankfully, they succeeded in making this Hulk look more believable and more human at the same time.
Right from the beginning, the movie grabs you and does not let go! The action scenes are done with such an intensity that it is easy to get sweaty palms while watching them. And talk about a main villain! Abomination (Played by Tim Roth), though they never call him that in the movie, was such a great adversary for the Hulk! They used downtown New York like a playground! The romance, (Which by the way, really helps out when you’re watching it with a lady, wink, wink!) was so believable and so touching that my wife, who does NOT like superhero films, found herself constantly looking back at me with a cheesy smile on her face every time Bruce banner and Betty Ross (Played by the beautiful Liv Tyler), shared a scene together. Story wise, this is the Hulk we wanted to see in 2003! It felt to me, that it was more along the lines of a Bourne film, constant chases, fast paced action, and one man running from a government agency. Trust me when I tell you, the chase in Brazil had me wondering if I was actually watching a new installment in the Bourne franchise, and I mean this in a very good way! All in all, great movie! So great in fact, that I actually enjoyed this one a lot more than Iron Man!
This film came and went quietly from theatres. There wasn’t much promotion for it, so not many people took the time to see it. It didn’t make as much as it’s competitors so because of that, it’s been said that there will most likely not be a sequel. I think it’s sad because it honestly was a really good film. It’s out on DVD and Blu Ray now, so please, if you are an action fan, comic book gee… I mean fan, or want a good date film that will satisfy both of your needs, please go out and buy this movie!
Score
8 out of 10
